Thomas W Hannis

Thomas William Hannis, 77, of Clark, died Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, at the Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston after a brief illness.

 Born in Plainfield on Nov. 19, 1946, Tom lived in Westfield for more than 60 years before moving to Chatham in 2011 and then to Clark last year.
Tom received his bachelor’s degree in education from Fairleigh Dickinson University and taught geography at the Fords Middle School in Woodbridge before retiring more than 20 years ago. Post-retirement, he worked for many years at the Hannis Insurance Agency in Red Bank.

 Tom was an environmentalist, a lover of animals and an avid antique collector. He got great pleasure going to garage sales and flea markets, where he’d often buy and sell all sorts of items.     Tom enjoyed meeting new people and learning about other cultures. During their nearly 40-year marriage, Tom and his wife, Patricia (nee Collins), who predeceased him in 2015, traveled extensively throughout Europe and Scandinavia as well as the United States and Canada. Tom spent many summer vacations in Vermont with his wife and son, William, and in recent years, enjoyed spending time in Cape May with extended family.

 Closer to home, Tom loved watching Westfield Blue Devils football games. He played for the Blue Devils in the early 1960s, and his son played for them in ‘95 - ‘98 and when they played at Meadowlands for the state championship. Tom also enjoyed watching his son William become a baseball coach- first in Summit and more recently for Westfield baseball. Tom loved that Will was back to being a Blue Devil. 
 

Family was always important to Tom. He maintained close relationships not only with his immediate family, but also with his nieces, nephews and cousins.
 

In addition to his wife, Tom was predeceased by his mother, Josephine Hannis (nee Urciuoli), who died in 1995, and his father, William Hannis, who died in 2013.
 

Tom is survived by his son, William, daughter-in-law Megan (nee Schwind) and granddaughters, Mackenzie and Madison and their dog Maverick, all of Westfield; three sisters, Karen Hannis, of Middletown, and Cynthia Babetski and Barbara Harbaugh, both of Westfield; two brothers-in-law, Robert Babetski and Paul Harbaugh; many nieces, nephews and cousins, and his beloved cat, Buddy.

Services were private. A celebration of Tom’s life will be held at a later date. Donations in Tom's name may be made to the Humane Society or St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center. https://www.sthuberts.org